Former OPEKEPE president says European Prosecutors abusing power

Former cultivation funds bureau OPEKEPE president Nikos Salatas described the European Public Prosecutor’s Office arsenic “dangerous” during his testimony earlier the Parliament’s Investigative Committee connected Wednesday, adding that it is progressive successful selective investigations and maltreatment of powerfulness tied to cultivation subsidies.

Salatas contended that Paraskevi Tycheropoulou, an OPEKEPE worker and subordinate of the European Prosecutor’s Office, committed 20 offenses and improperly influenced the absorption of ongoing investigations. He added that her assignment was politically driven and that someone “planted” her within the agency.

“I volunteered to assistance the European Prosecutor. I called the European Prosecutor’s Office’s special idiosyncratic and told her that you will person problems with Ms. Tycheropoulou, who should beryllium investigated and not investigating. From probe I had done, I recovered that she was being investigated for 10 misdemeanors and 10 felonies,” Salatas said. “No 1 did anything.” 

The erstwhile OPEKEPE president said Tycheropoulou, with the support of European prosecutors, “redirected” the probe to debar scrutiny of cardinal subsidy periods. “This is simply a bona fide lawsuit of maltreatment of power,” helium stated.

Salatas besides accused existent and erstwhile authorities officials—including ex-Justice Minister Kostas Tsiaras and existent Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis—of irregular appointments and governmental interference. He claimed helium was removed from his presumption under unit from authorities circles for refusing to obstruct the European Prosecutor’s investigation.

In response, Tycheropoulou’s lawyer called the allegations “slanderous paranoia,” adding that there was a signifier of idiosyncratic attacks during Salatas’ abbreviated tenure, from February to May.

In the statement, the lawyer said that Salatas’ remarks are portion of an “obsessive and merciless pursuit that Ms. Tycheropoulou has suffered to day from the organization’s administrations.”

The contention unfolds arsenic Parliament continues its probe into OPEKEPE’s handling of billions successful EU cultivation funds.